By Patrick Gower
The United States Secretary of Defence has told Taliban fighters responsible for killing five New Zealand soldiers in Afghanistan that US forces will take them out.
Leon Panetta is currently visiting New Zealand. He is the first Defence Secretary to visit in 30 years following the no-nuclear law.
Today Mr Panetta stood shoulder-to-shoulder with New Zealanders to remember those who died in Afghanistan, including the five killed by the Taliban last month.
“We will remember them,” he said.
He promised US troops would help in any retribution attack.
“Whatever information we have that is credible, we will do whatever we have to do in cooperation with the forces of New Zealand to make sure they understand that nobody attacks our forces and gets away with it.”
The Government has sent SAS officers back to Afghanistan to track down those who killed New Zealand soldiers Corporal Luke Tamatea, Private Richard Harris, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer and Lance Corporal Rory Malone. If they find them, US special forces will execute the attack.
“We always make a commitment to go after those that attack our forces,” Mr Panetta said.
But chief of the New Zealand Defence Force Major General Rhys Jones would not say whether the SAS or other Kiwi troops would be part of the attack operation.
Mr Panetta was welcomed with a powhiri today, and then accidentally called New Zealand “New England”.
It turned out the reason for his visit was to announce that after a 30-year standoff over the no-nuclear law, New Zealand naval ships will be allowed into US ports.
Earlier this year we weren't allowed to dock at Pearl Harbor during international naval exercises.
“I suspect that soon we will see one of those ships come into our ports and we would welcome that,” Mr Panetta said.
Yet while there's an open invitation for the US to come - even just a Coast Guard ship - Mr Panetta won't be taking that up anytime soon.
“One thing I've learnt in politics over 40 years is to take one step at a time.”
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